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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28300347">Occupational Hazard</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/greendoodle/pseuds/greendoodle'>greendoodle</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Firefighters, Fire, Firefighter Bokuto, Fluff and Angst, Insecurity, M/M, Minor miscellaneous firefighter related injuries, Multi, smoke inhalation</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 01:16:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,429</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28300347</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/greendoodle/pseuds/greendoodle</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Bokuto got ready every morning, putting on heavy gear and uncomfortable boots just so that he could battle hours of intense heat and exhaustion, all under the threat of death.</p><p>Willingly.</p><p>Kuroo didn’t like to admit it, but he worried a lot.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou/Kuroo Tetsurou, Bokuto Koutarou/Kuroo Tetsurou</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>78</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Haikyuu Secret Santa 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Occupational Hazard</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/joshllyman/gifts">joshllyman</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi kou!! c: Tis I, your secret santa!<br/>You asked for Bokuaka, Bokuroo, or Akakuro, but you seem to like polyam ships, so I tried my hand at writing all three of them together for the first time xD And, as requested, Kuroo POV for you which was also a challenge for me. 😳 I just like to suffer during the holidays, don't I fjdsio-but it was fun! Been a while since I've written at all haha :D missed the bois ; - ;</p><p>This also ended up being 3k longer than I expected so, whoops, haha. Hope you enjoy regardless! o/ MERRY CRIMA &amp; HAPPY HOLIDAYS ✨</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Bokuto was always one step away from setting himself on fire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No, Kuroo wasn’t exaggerating.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aside from the fact that his boyfriend was literally an inch away from the barbecue grill right now, wearing a highly flammable old t-shirt, he was also a firefighter in his everyday life. He got ready every morning, putting on heavy gear and uncomfortable boots just so that he could battle hours of intense heat and exhaustion, all under the threat of death.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Willingly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was so jarringly different from Kuroo’s marketing office job, far away from the harms of a burning house or forest. He didn’t have to fear suddenly losing oxygen in a smoke-filled room or injuring his head due to debris falling from the ceiling above him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuroo didn’t like to admit it, but he worried a lot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even now, as Bokuto laughed and placed more meat on the grill, Kuroo couldn’t help but find himself being overly protective, even if the fire in front of his boyfriend was a mere flicker of what he experienced normally.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Careful, you idiot,” Kuroo rolled his eyes, pulling Bokuto away from the popping flames. “You’re setting your shirt on fire.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oops,” Bokuto blinked, tongs in one hand, a platter of raw meat in the other. He laughed again, loud and unbothered. “Sorry, sorry, occupational hazard.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not how that phrase works.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it not?” Bokuto furrowed his brows.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s like if you suffered a burn injury from work or something,” Kuroo clarified, taking the tongs from his boyfriend and watching as one of his co-workers reached over to take a helping of meat off the grill. For the umpteenth time that afternoon, he wondered if it was a good idea inviting Bokuto to his company barbecue, especially when his boss had (upon finding out what Bokuto did for a living) made him man the grills for the day. “You’re not at work.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But if I get burned here, isn’t it like an occupational hazard still? Besides,” Bokuto grinned, grabbing the tongs back and waggling his eyebrows. “You said it was the shirt you were worried about—should I take it off?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bo,” Kuroo snorted, not entirely against the idea. “You want to take your shirt off at a semi-formal company party, where we're welcoming new employees who are probably nervous to meet new people?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh,” Bokuto looked around as if he just realized where he was. He gave a sheepish smile. “Yes?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go wild,” Kuroo snickered, half-joking, but when Bokuto fist pumped and proceeded to undress in one smooth motion, he swore the temperature outside increased at least 10 degrees. Kuroo was sure he saw at least ten people do a double take as his boyfriend casually flung his shirt over his shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bokuto refocused his attention back to the grill, humming a silly little tune as if he hadn't just dropped the jaws of everyone within a 5-meter radius. His demeanor screamed, ‘it’s summer after all—too hot for a shirt.’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>God, this man was going to be the death of him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuroo turned, ignoring the heat from his face as he took a plastic cup filled with soda from the table of food next to the barbecue. He swirled its contents, observing his coworkers and trying to identify the newcomers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn't have to look long before he found one such person sitting under a tree by himself, staring adamantly in their direction, directly at—</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuroo smirked, watching as this stranger's eyes stayed glued to Bokuto's form, the way his muscles pulled and stretched as he continued to man the grill happily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's a wonder Bokuto hadn't noticed yet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Psst, Bo," Kuroo nudged at his boyfriend as discreetly as he could.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hm?" Bokuto responded, very non-discreetly, looking into the direction that Kuroo was indicating.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The new employee flinched ever so slightly, looking down at his plate. From this distance, Kuroo couldn't make out all of his features, but he found the man's curly head of hair quite charming.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Pretty sure people are staring," Kuroo hummed, taking a sip from his drink.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Who?" Bokuto swiveled around, glancing around at the crowd as if there weren't multiple people preoccupied with the lunch and impromptu firefighter show.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn't a new thing that wherever Kuroo went with Bokuto, his boyfriend always seemed to be center stage. Shirtless or not, he garnered attention with a charisma that was infectious, and honestly, never ceased to amaze Kuroo. Sometimes, on his worst days, Kuroo feared that if the blazing inferno of Bokuto's firefighting career didn't steal him away from him, the scorching hot spotlight of main character-itis would.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That's probably an occupational hazard in and of itself," Kuroo murmured, watching with mild interest as the new employee he had spotted earlier got up, bowed to his boss, and started heading towards the parking lot.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He didn't remember the guy until they met the next day at the office.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What was that?" Kuroo responded lazily, glancing up from his computer files.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man fidgeted with his hands, but otherwise, didn't seem bothered in the slightest. In fact, he looked very much bored and apathetic. "I heard that you're the marketing manager here. Could you give me access to the documents I need?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh, new employee, huh?" Kuroo grinned, extending a hand that the man took hesitantly. "Name's Kuroo Tetsurou. And you?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Akaashi Keiji," he responded curtly, bowing. "It's nice to meet you, Kuroo-san."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuroo stared at the curly head of hair in front of him. "Oh, it's you!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi stood up straight, blinking. "You've heard of me?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No, no, just—" Kuroo snickered, a grin building on his face. "You were very much enjoying the view yesterday, huh?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi flushed ever so slightly and Kuroo delighted in the way that it made the tips of his ears go pink. After a moment of silence, he responded, a little softer than before. "I don't know what you mean."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuroo hummed, moving to type at his computer. Akaashi just watched him silently, unmoving at his side. After a few minutes, Kuroo turned to him again, making a show of hitting his enter key loudly for dramatic flourish.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"And there you go! You should have access to the company files now."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Thank you, Kuroo-san," Akaashi said, with no intonation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Bokuto picks me up at 5pm almost every day," Kuroo responded conversationally, as Akaashi started to leave. He watched once more as the man's face bloomed a deeper shade of red. "Yaknow, if you wanted to stare again."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi paused, contemplating something. Then, he smiled politely, bowing to Kuroo once more. "Thank you. It's relieving to know that I have a pain-in-the-ass superior looking out for me."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuroo sat in stunned silence as Akaashi left without another word. He watched the man walk away before he found himself doubled over in laughter, floored by the absolute audacity that this new employee had in addressing him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Initially, upon meeting Akaashi, Kuroo thought that he would be gaining a cheeky coworker who would only talk to him whenever absolutely necessary </span>
  <em>
    <span>or </span>
  </em>
  <span>whenever Bokuto was involved. However, as the weeks passed, he found that Akaashi was very much present in his life, not only in the work that he did, but outside of it too, in the way that he carried himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Out of all the new employees, Akaashi definitely was one of the most hard-working. Although he didn't strike one with the most impactful first impression, like Hinata, who Kuroo had also taken under his wing, he was definitely a man of action rather than words. He was diligent and precise. He was efficient and on-time. But, what Kuroo found the most appealing about him was his perfectly timed quips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was of course, the one that he had made on the day they had officially first met, but there wasn't a dull moment around Akaashi even afterwards, in the lunchroom or by the water coolers. This man always seemed to have something to say about everything, finding a way to squeeze in an icy retort or comment in the most matter-of-fact way—all with a deadpan expression on his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuroo found it infuriatingly endearing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And although Kuroo had only teased Akaashi about seeing Bokuto after work, he actually did make time out of his day to do so literally every other day since then, enough so that Bokuto was familiar with Akaashi's face and name.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seeing them together for brief moments made Kuroo's heart do weird things. The way that Akaashi's quips perfectly aligned themselves with Bokuto's silly antics and how they both let him be there, to soak up their presences.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was charming, to put it simply.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was different from the way he found Bokuto charming because where Bokuto was the warmth of the sun, giving him life and breath, instilling a renewed passion in him every time he awoke, Akaashi was like the expanse of space, a constant, reliable presence that was always there, taking his breath away in unsuspecting ways, most striking in the chilling quiet of the night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was just a cat caught in between two celestial entities.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Bo, fuck," Kuroo groaned, throwing an arm over his eyes dramatically as they drove away from office. They had both just gotten Akaashi’s number from him and were raving during the car ride. "Akaashi's amazing."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bokuto gasped, gripping the steering wheel more excitedly. "I know, right! He's so pretty too!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He is," Kuroo admitted with a sigh. "I... I think I like him."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Like, like him like him?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuroo nodded, still shielding his eyes from view. "Like him like him."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They've had this talk in the past before—the way that both of them would be more than okay with a polyamorous relationship. They've had casual hookups with others outside the two of them in the past, but nothing had lasted. There was no one else who felt like they could permanently slot into the puzzle pieces of their lives.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At least, not until now, apparently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I like him like him too!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuroo opened his eyes, staring back at Bokuto. "Oh."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It always went one way—with one of them liking someone else and then, trying a relationship out with the three of them, only to find </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span> didn't click. It was fine in the end because Kuroo still had Bokuto through it all, but they were both still searching for that last special something. Someone that could really bring their lives together, wrapped up in a nice little bow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe Akaashi was that someone. The only problem was that Kuroo was more than certain Akaashi only liked Bokuto.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sighed, closing his eyes once more as the highway whizzed by them outside. The weight of Akaashi’s name in his phone felt heavy now. "Guess we'll see how this goes."</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>One day, Bokuto forgot his lunch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuroo got a flurry of panicked texts from him on his half-day at the office, something along the lines of 'I'm going to starve' and 'I'm the saddest I've ever been.' </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He showed the texts to Akaashi who snorted, which Kuroo found to be way too cute.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I got some too,” Akaashi said, showing his own phone screen that just had rows upon rows of Bokuto badly misspelling Akaashi’s name.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He just needs to let everyone in the world know he’s suffering,” Kuroo laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Should we bring him something?" Akaashi suggested.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuroo blinked, then grinned. "What, you want to see Bokuto in his natural habitat?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi hummed, not answering, but Kuroo took that as an answer in and of itself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'll give you the directions. Mind if I hitch a ride with you?" Kuroo pointed to Akaashi's phone which he handed over. Kuroo typed in the coordinates to Bokuto's favorite yakiniku place as well as his workplace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi took the phone back afterwards, staring fixedly on the screen. Kuroo chuckled at how blatantly infatuated the curly-haired man seemed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He tried to ignore the fear that perhaps Akaashi would never see him that same way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They resumed work, but by lunchtime, they were packed up for the day and ready to head towards the restaurant and fire station. The ride to their first destination was mostly peaceful and with their bags full of meat, they headed off to surprise Bokuto.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Kuroo-san," Akaashi spoke within a few minutes of their arrival, and Kuroo paused in his humming.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What's up?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi glanced at him out of the corner of his eye before turning back to the road. "What... is your relationship with Bokuto-san?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuroo felt his stomach do a flip. He made his fingers drum across the car door handle in hopes to settle his nerves. "Why, what do we look like?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"At first, I thought you two were roommates, but it seems like you are much closer than that. Bokuto-san is a very forward person and he seems to be obsessed with you."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Mm," Kuroo responded, hearing his heart in his throat. "You aren't wrong. We are roommates, but that's only because we've been going out with each other since high school."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi's expression was unreadable. "I see."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"When he graduated, he went into firefighting right away. I had to take marketing classes in college for what I was planning to do, but I was worried about him. I was..." Kuroo swallowed, looking away and out the window. "I was scared that he might get hurt at his job. To compromise so that we wouldn't spend any time outside of work apart, we decided to live together."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I didn't know you were gay," Akaashi commented.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Actually, not really sure what I am, but I do know that I love Bokuto," Kuroo laughed, sheepishly rubbing behind his neck. "You're gay too, aren't you? I've seen the way you look at him."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi blinked, shoulders tensing momentarily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Are you jealous of me?" Kuroo ventured, hoping he didn't cross any unspoken line.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"...perhaps," Akaashi contemplated, as they pulled into the public parking lot next to the fire station.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuroo didn't know how to respond to that so he only exited the car with Akaashi in silence, hoping to high heavens that he didn't screw this up by being his provocative self. They gathered the food from the trunk (there was quite a lot for the three of them) and headed towards the garage carefully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They heard Bokuto before they saw him. He was sitting with his back turned to them, flailing his arms at his fellow firefighters, laughing wholeheartedly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then Akaashi said, ‘Sounds like you, Kuroo-san,’ and Kuroo was like, ‘What sounds like me?’, and Akaashi just showed us a video of this screaming chicken—"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuroo felt his face heat up. “Talking shit about me, Bo?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bokuto perked up, looking back around at them in surprise. "Ah, Kuroo!! Akaashi!!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yo,” Kuroo greeted as Akaashi nodded next to him. He grinned as he watched Bokuto eye the plastic bags in their hands. “We brought you lunch.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What, really!” Bokuto leaped up from his seat, running towards them to grab some of what they were carrying. He peeked inside, eyes alight with excitement. “My favorite! You guys are the best!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuroo swore that he gained an extra ten years of his life in seeing Bokuto’s reaction. Akaashi didn’t say anything in response, but Kuroo knew he probably felt the same.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The three of them gathered in the lunchroom after a few minutes of Bokuto showing Akaashi the pole and how ‘cool’ it was. Kuroo was sure that Akaashi thought it was cool when he saw how nice a shirtless Bokuto looked, going down it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They conversed and ate together, soaking in each other’s company on a sunny weekday afternoon. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuroo talked about what a handful some of the new employees were, particularly Hinata and Lev. He smirked, also mentioning how they had a new employee with a sharp tongue and icy wit who got the better of his superiors as well. Akaashi rolled his eyes, but smiled through it all, chiming in here and there with his own comments.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bokuto laughed as they told stories from the office, offering his own as well, from how many neighborhood cats knew him now to how Konoha and Komi pranked him nearly daily. Currently, the fire station was in the midst of collecting donations as they were running out of funding from the city.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Makes sense that you’d do this every year though,” Kuroo mused, taking another bite of his beef bowl. “Our city isn’t exactly known for many fires, don’t you usually get called out to some random place to help there?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but remember the last time we tried something before we got that big donation?” Bokuto sighed, eyebrows screwing together in frustration. “We almost needed to call the fire department to </span>
  <em>
    <span>us</span>
  </em>
  <span> for all those burned cookies.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh yeah, that was poetic irony,” Kuroo chuckled, earning a pout from his boyfriend. Akaashi on the other hand was quieter than normal, looking contemplative. “Hm, what’s up, Akaashi?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, nothing,” Akaashi shook his head, smiling at them. “I wish the station the best of luck with that, Bokuto-san.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, Kaashi!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuroo kind of hoped this shared moment between the three of them wouldn’t end, but eventually, Bokuto had to return to work and Akaashi had to drive them back. Kuroo gave Akaashi his address and they drove back in silence, their previous car conversation lingering over their heads like a thundercloud.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks for the ride,” Kuroo said quietly when they reached his and Bokuto’s apartment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course, Kuroo-san.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuroo exited the car, holding the door open for a little too long. “Akaashi?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dazzling emerald green eyes turned to him in question. He couldn’t stop the next words that came out of his mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Would you care to come in for some coffee?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi blinked in surprise before his lips quirked up into a small smile. Kuroo wanted to capture it in a photograph. “I’d love that, Kuroo-san.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That evening when Bokuto got home, Kuroo had a plan ready to go.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He would ask Akaashi to take care of some extra files for him so that he ends up staying later at the office. If there were none, he’d make up some imaginary work for Akaashi to do. Then, when Bokuto came to pick him up, they would both confess to him and see where their relationship went from there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fingers crossed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bokuto was excited about the plan, but Kuroo couldn’t help feel a little apprehensive. Although he was the one who had come up with it, he didn’t want to make Akaashi uncomfortable as his superior at work. If anything, this would let the man know that at the very least, Bokuto was interested and if Kuroo was just a part of a temporary fling, that’d be okay too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t like how his heart clenched at that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Still, once he was at work, it was pointless worrying about it—his main goal was to find something for Akaashi to do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thankfully, it seemed like the universe was responding to his call when Hinata came up to his cubicle with his unhappy desk-mate, Kageyama. Akaashi followed shortly after, looking slightly troubled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kuroo-san, I’m sorry, we lost the recent marketing designs for that volleyball company,” Hinata whined in despair. “Kageyama got coffee all over it—”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dumbass, it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>your fault</span>
  </em>
  <span> that the files got ruined, don’t blame me—”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, it wouldn’t have happened if you just gave it to me </span>
  <em>
    <span>normally </span>
  </em>
  <span>instead of trying to throw it—”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>throw it</span>
  </em>
  <span>, I—”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Woah, woah, woah, what happened?” Kuroo said, breaking up their argument.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kageyama and Hinata were fighting over the USB they received and it fell into my coffee mug,” Akaashi interjected, brandishing a rectangular metal stick that was wrapped up in what was once a white handkerchief.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, that’s,” Kuroo paused, feeling bad for Akaashi, but relieved that this situation happened at all so that he wasn’t forced to think of something for him to do later. “Unfortunate.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi blinked, scrutinizing him. “Yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuroo cleared his throat, trying to put on a reassuring face for the two newcomers and Kageyama. “How are the files? Anything that can be salvaged?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thankfully, it looks like there’s some things that we can save, but for the most part, we’ll probably need to reconnect with the client.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, Akaashi would you mind trying to move what can be saved to the main drive and emailing that company?” Kuroo asked, hoping that Akaashi didn’t have any other plans for the evening.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man nodded an affirmative and Kuroo felt like fist pumping. Instead, he turned to both Hinata and Kageyama sternly. “As for you two, I hope you know that fighting isn’t allowed here. Hinata, this is your first warning, but Kageyama you should know better.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kageyama mumbled something that sounded like an apology. Hinata followed after, making sure to bow and apologize to Akaashi as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After they promised not to fight like this in the future unless they wanted to go talk to head manager Daichi, Kuroo let them leave back to their respective desks. He sighed heavily, turning to Akaashi sympathetically.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry to make you pick up after them,” he said, genuinely meaning it. He laughed, an awkward sound in his ears. “Guess you’ll need to stay late with me today.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s alright,” Akaashi responded. He thought about something for a moment before adding quietly— “I enjoyed having coffee with you the other evening.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuroo blinked, a warmth soft in his chest. Was he hearing things? “You did?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi hummed nonchalantly, though the faint hint of redness in his ears gave him away. “Free coffee.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, of course,” Kuroo chuckled, running a hand through his hair. “What else would it be?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi eyed him for a moment too long before turning to leave. “I’ll finish up my remaining tasks, grab a cup of coffee, and then head to the IT meeting room to get this—” he held up the USB again. “Checked out. I also have an idea that I’d like to run by you later, if that’s okay. See you then, Kuroo-san.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“See you,” Kuroo breathed, watching Akaashi walk away in stunned silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After an indeterminate amount of time, he shook his head and smacked his cheeks a few times.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He couldn’t get ahead of himself. It didn’t mean anything that Akaashi enjoyed spending time with him. It has happened before where people tried to get closer to him just so they could get with Bokuto. He didn’t think Akaashi would be that type of person, but he couldn’t be completely certain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That’s why this plan of theirs was so important.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Belatedly, he wondered what this idea of Akaashi’s was.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The rest of the day passed by slowly, but eventually, people started to leave for the day, turning in their last items, and wishing everyone a good night. Soon, there were only a handful of people left in the office, typing away at their computers or conducting phone calls.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuroo glanced around to find Akaashi absent from his desk. He was probably already in the IT room, working on whatever could be fixed from the Hinata and Kageyama disaster earlier today. He turned back to his own work, prepared to get as much of it done as possible before meeting up with Bokuto later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suddenly, a loud piercing noise sounded across the building, accompanied by flashing red lights. He sat up, alarmed by the noise. People were bustling about now, clearly panicked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re evacuating!” Daichi’s booming voice called out above the din, rallying everyone into action. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kuroo-san,” Hinata bounded up to him, a flash of fear flitting through his eyes. “What’s happening?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know, but hurry and start heading towards the exits,” Kuroo directed, watching everyone scramble to gather their belongings. He made sure Hinata left to do just that before running over to Daichi.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s going on, Sawamura?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A pretty big fire started in the building somewhere,” Daichi said, putting on his coat. He did a quick scan of the area before making his way to the stairs. “It shouldn’t be a big deal, but we’re evacuating just to be safe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Got it,” Kuroo said, about to follow after him before he realized there was someone who they neglected to notify.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Someone who was probably in the nearly soundproof IT room, working on a task that Kuroo had asked him to do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit,” he swore, turning back around to the alarm of his head manager. “I’ll be back! One of my employees might be in trouble.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There were only a few IT rooms throughout the floor so Kuroo made a beeline for them, peering in through the semi-transparent glass windows to see if he could spot a familiar head of curly hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In fact, most of the rooms were empty save for a few with groups who were already making their exit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuroo couldn’t help the pit of dread in his stomach. He wondered if Akaashi had made it out of the building already.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course, he reasoned with himself. He must have, given how quick-witted the man was. Here Kuroo was worrying needlessly, exposing himself to even more potential danger while Akaashi was probably outside, wondering where </span>
  <em>
    <span>he </span>
  </em>
  <span>was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuroo started to make his way to the stairs as well, running towards the exit. His office was on the fifth floor so it wouldn’t be too long before he made it outside. He just had to have faith that whatever this fire was, it wasn’t bad enough of an obstacle for him to overcome.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he started to climb down, Kuroo noticed large streams of smoke from the floor below them. The door was shut, but through the cracks and crevices, he could smell burning wood and soot from beyond the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hoped no one was trapped inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuroo covered his nose and mouth as he passed the smoldering floor. He kept his dress shirt up against his face to block out most of the toxic fumes. Nimbly, he avoided the fallen debris here and there to make it down the last several flights of stairs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he made it out, he was greeted with a bustling crowd of people, most from within the building, but some passersby who looked concerned about the smoke rising from the high skyscraper. Kuroo glanced around, trying to identify familiar faces and locating those from his office. With searching eyes, he made his way to them to verify that they were all safe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everyone was accounted for, except for one person.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuroo’s blood ran cold as he turned back to the building which was starting to become engulfed in black smoke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi was still in there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Where would he be if he wasn’t in those IT rooms? What had he told Kuroo earlier that day, something about finishing the rest of his tasks, and then heading there after getting a cup of—</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The cafeteria. It was a floor below them, right where the door was seeping smoke. It makes sense after all, that a fire would start there where there was the most risk. Akaashi was surely there, in a room with no air, potentially all alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuroo felt like throwing up. He had noticed the fire was coming from there, but he had passed by with no second thought. He had left Akaashi there, to fend off the blazing inferno just as he leaves Bokuto to do the same, day in and day out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He needed to save him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As plans of running back in there to find Akaashi flooded his mind, they were soon drowned out by blaring sirens as the streets on their corner cleared the way for two fire trucks and a few police cars.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the blink of an eye, the vehicles were parked by the side of the road, firefighters shuffling about to connect hoses to fire hydrants and police officers moving people around them for crowd control.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuroo’s eyes frantically searched the group of firefighters before they landed on his boyfriend. He ran to him, ignoring the warnings he got from others, his heart thudding in his ears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Bokuto, thank god you're here, I—" Kuroo rushed forward, ignoring the cries to stay back from the other firefighters. Bokuto looked alarmed to see him here, as if he hadn’t double checked his destination before arriving. He probably hadn’t. "Akaashi's in there!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bokuto went pale, looking at the building in front of them with a new expression of alarm. He raised his voice above the noise— "Someone's still in there!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At that, the other firefighters grabbed more protective equipment from their truck. Kuroo could see that they were planning to go into the thick of the smoke, especially since it was difficult to tell if there was more than one person still inside. Kuroo clutched onto Bokuto's sleeve tightly, stopping him before he could move.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He should be in room 451 on the fourth floor, it’s the cafeteria—shouldn't be too far up—I missed him. I could’ve grabbed him on the way down, but I didn’t know—I—"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bokuto nodded firmly, grabbing Kuroo's hands and holding onto them. "I'll be back."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Okay," Kuroo said, too softly. He doesn't know if Bokuto heard him above the noise. He watched as Bokuto joined the crew to head in, putting on an extra layer of protective gear. Kuroo felt helpless. "Be safe."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bokuto located him in the crowd one last time, clenched his fist in a show of confidence, and then headed inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuroo bit his lip and did all that he could—he waited.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Helplessly, just like he’d always done.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he had coffee with Akaashi the other night, he had admitted something to him that he hadn’t completely admitted to himself yet. Akaashi had asked why Kuroo doesn’t drive himself to work if he had the means to, namely a functioning car and driver’s license. Instead, Kuroo often opted to either be picked up by Bokuto or take public transportation back home on the days that his boyfriend was held up late.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>Why</span>
  </em>
  <span>?’ Kuroo had blinked, before resting his face in the palm of his hand. Akaashi watched him with genuine interest. ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>I guess, I just like knowing he’s safe and I can’t wait til I get home. It’s a little selfish of me, I know.</span>
  </em>
  <span>’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi had hummed, that perfect tone that made Kuroo’s knees melt at this point. He swirled the contents of his mug before taking a small sip. ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>I think it’s okay to be a little selfish at times. I’d like to be more selfish</span>
  </em>
  <span>,’ He had glanced up and at Kuroo in a way that mesmerized him, eyes fixated on him and only him. ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>One of these days</span>
  </em>
  <span>.’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuroo didn’t realize people were pushing him towards a safer location. All he could keep his eyes on was the entrance, waiting for that familiar tuft of black and white hair or that curly head of black hair. He kept looking and looking even if he couldn’t see past the smoke because surely his sun and his space would shine through it all, coming home to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, all Kuroo could sense was the smell of soot and the taste of grime.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His head was numb. He wasn’t sure if he had actually thrown up at any point.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then, like the light at the end of a tunnel, there were several firefighters who emerged from the fumes, leading small, frail looking people outside, coughing, heaving, but alive. Kuroo perked up, making to walk over to greet them, but was stopped by the extended arm of a police officer. He strained to see past the man, searching, still searching.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He heard ambulances arrive at their location. He paid them no mind. Their sirens weren’t louder than the ringing in his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not another moment passed before he saw Bokuto, hair that was normally spiked high, drooping under a hard helmet, carrying someone with a cloth over their face. Kuroo ran forward, somehow pushing past the officer in front of him and nearly tripping in his haste.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bokuto spotted him immediately as well, and his face broke out in a tentative grin. He lay the person down on a stretch of cloth with some other victims, a great distance away from the burning building. Kuroo reached them right as said person sat up as best as he could, his curly hair messy and falling over his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Drink this, ‘Kaashi,” Bokuto was saying as he knelt over Akaashi, offering him an unopened bottle of water. “Slowly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” came a quiet reply after a few rough coughs, barely heard over the noise, but still there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Present and alive.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kuroo, you’re not supposed to be here!” Bokuto turned to him as Kuroo shook, breathing heavily, standing right in front of the two of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bokuto looked worse for wear, hair singed in a few places and his outfit burned much worse. There were a few cuts on his face that were bleeding but the wounds didn’t look serious. Overall, he looked fine and as chipper as always, if not a little out of breath. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuroo felt a lump rise to his throat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know,” he croaked, dropping to his knees. Bokuto yelped in alarm, reaching forward to catch him, but failing to do so in time with his heavy gear. Akaashi looked up blearily, then smiled upon recognizing him, as if he hadn’t just been in a burning building moments prior.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kuroo-san, are you…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I’m okay,” Kuroo breathed, the soot-filled air strangely calming to his lungs. “I’m just relieved. Akaashi, I—”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bokuto leaned over him, a hand on his back, steady and strong. Akaashi looked on expectantly, waiting with an unwavering focus.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bokuto and I really like you, Akaashi.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bokuto squawked. “Kuroo, right now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi blinked up at him, but quickly broke out in a small, breathless laugh. “Really, Kuroo-san? Not to parrot Bokuto-san, but—right now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t help it!” Kuroo blubbered, feeling wetness trail down his cheeks. “I thought we lost you! I gave you that extra work to do! I was right there! I could’ve—should’ve—I’m sorry—”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi hummed, a sound slightly broken by a raspy, smoke-stuffed voice. He seemed content, despite the circumstances. His clothes were covered in soot and grime, and his face was  as well, but Kuroo couldn’t help finding him incredibly beautiful still. “I really like you both as well.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wha—” Kuroo locked eyes with Akaashi though he was sure that he himself looked ridiculous with tears and snot streaming down his face. “Both of us?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Both of you,” Akaashi nodded, looking very tired. “Did you think I wouldn’t notice you flirting with me, Kuroo-san?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuroo sniffed, rubbing at an eye with his hand which was a mistake, given that it was covered in dust. “I thought you only liked Bokuto.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Unfortunately, I like you as well,” Akaashi quipped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuroo laughed, a sound of relief. Bokuto snickered at the comment, continuing to pat his boyfriend on the back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi coughed a few times, then spoke up once more. “I know we’re a little behind schedule, but would you like to hear my idea now—”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, Akaashi, I would not like to hear your idea right now when you were just on the brink of death,” Kuroo exhaled, his lips making a wobbly line. Tentatively, he leaned in and kissed Akaashi on the cheek. “Later. Please.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, not fair! I want to kiss Akaashi too!” Bokuto exclaimed, going to do just that. Then, he turned to give Kuroo some kisses and well, looking absolutely beside himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuroo wasn’t sure if it was the adrenaline or not, but he was pretty beside himself as well. And even when Bokuto turned to leave them once more after a fair helping of kisses, to head back into the building, Kuroo felt a little safer and assured now with Akaashi by his side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He knew without a doubt that they would be reunited once more.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A few weeks had passed since the cafeteria fire in their office building. Apparently, a new employee from another department had put some foil into one of the microwaves which were connected to other microwaves, creating an uncontainable disaster.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was some wild senpai of Hinata’s who he had known from college, but other than that, Kuroo didn’t have any other details.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nevertheless, everything was relatively back to normal now, and quite possibly even better than that, given that Kuroo had two lovely boyfriends to come home to every night. The days were rolling into late fall and with that, new plans for the fire station’s fundraiser.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Speaking of which—</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure this is the cameraman you wanted to hire?” Kuroo asked Akaashi as they sat outside at a picnic bench, surrounded by the enticing smells of barbecue meat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Akaashi nodded, watching as Sugawara, their cameraman, was ogling the firefighters at the grills. “He knows how to get the right angles.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuroo wasn’t sure what angles Akaashi was talking about, but he figured he’d entertain his boyfriend a little with this photoshoot. A few days after checking into the hospital to see if he had any permanent injuries and finding he had none, Akaashi came to Kuroo with a marketing idea for Bokuto’s workplace—a firefighter calendar depicting some of the city’s finest heroes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Emphasis on </span>
  <em>
    <span>fine</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Most of the Fukurodani fire station were smoking hot, Kuroo didn’t deny. Although Bokuto took the cake—quite literally, he would argue—the others were fair contenders, from Konoha to Asahi. They all had a certain charm unique to their person.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you think that’s an occupational hazard?” Akaashi murmured. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What was that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” Akaashi flushed, and Kuroo delighted once more in the way it lit up those cute ears of his. “Koutarou was telling me this earlier, but he said something about how sometimes things around him catch fire. It’s an occupational hazard, he said.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course he said that,” Kuroo cackled, remembering their conversation from the summer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“With that line of reasoning, it’s no wonder he has very um,” Akaashi cleared his throat, looking down at his hands. “Very attractive friends.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kuroo laughed, finding that he couldn’t refute that argument.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know,” he mused, watching Akaashi glance at him. They both turned to stare at Bokuto as he whipped his tongs around like they were more than just a prop for the photoshoot. Akaashi laughed softly at the scene and Kuroo smiled, thinking about how it was Bokuto’s charm that led Akaashi to them. “That’s one occupational hazard that I think I’m okay with.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>
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